any more, but came back to the golden door. There he saw
a deer's foot hanging by a chain of diamonds, and he began to wonder who
could live in this magnificent castle.

"They must feel very secure against robbers," he said to himself. "What
is to hinder anyone from cutting off that chain and digging out those
carbuncles, and making himself rich for life?"

He pulled the deer's foot, and immediately a silver bell sounded and the
door flew open, but the Prince could see nothing but numbers of hands
in the air, each holding a torch. He was so much surprised that he stood
quite still, until he felt himself pushed forward by other hands, so
that, though he was somewhat uneasy, he could not help going on. With
his hand on his sword, to be prepared for whatever might happen, he
entered a hall paved with lapis-lazuli, while two lovely voices sang:

"The hands you see floating above
Will swiftly your bidding obey;
If your heart dreads not conquering Love,
In this place you may fearlessly stay."

The Prince could not believe that any danger threatened him when he was
welcomed in this way, so, guided by the mysterious hands, he went toward
a door of coral, which opened of its own accord, and he found himself
in a vast hall of mother-of-pearl, out of which opened a number of other
rooms, glittering with thousands of lights, and full of such beautiful
pictures and precious things that the Prince felt quite bewildered.
After passing through sixty rooms the hands that conducted him stopped,
and the Prince saw a most comfortable-looking arm-chair drawn up close
to the chimney-corner; at the same moment the fire lighted itself, and
the pretty, soft, clever hands took off the Prince's wet, muddy clothes,
and presented him with fresh ones made of the richest stuffs, all
embroidered with gold and emeralds. He could not help admiring
everything he saw, and the deft way in which the hands waited on him,
though they sometimes appeared so suddenly that they made him jump.

When he was quite ready--and I can assure you that he looked very
different from the wet and weary Prince who had stood outside in the
rain, and pulled the deer's foot--the hands led him to a splendid room,
upon the walls of which were painted the histories of Puss in Boots and
a number of other famous cats. The table was laid for supper with
two golden plates, and golden spoons and forks, and the sideboard was
covered with dishes and glass